Mechanism for starting gas-engines



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PafbntedSept. 27, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

TOUSSAINT GENDARME, OF SERAING, BELGIUM, ASSIGNOR T SOCIETE ANONYME, JOHN GOCKERILL, 0F SERAING, BELGIUM.

MECHANISM FOR STARTING GAS-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 27, 1921 Application filed October 27, 1919. Serial No. 333,694.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TOUSSAINT GENDARME, a. subject of the King of Belgium, residing at Seraing, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Starting Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specifica-,

tion.

This invention relates to mechanism for starting gas engines by means of compressed air. The object is to simplify existing apparatus designed for this purpose and to allow single mechanic to start the engine and.

is controlled by manipulating a single handwheel, the effect of the position givento the said slotted lever being either toallowvthe admission of compressed air necessary for the starting, or to disengage the air inlet controlling mechanism during normal working or, again, to placetheair'inlet valve in its fully open position in order to avoid main taining the compression while the engine is being brought into starting position. The accompanying drawing shows, of example, a means'for invention. I

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section through a compressed air inlet valve in the cylinder of a gas engine, the parts being in the position they occupy when the engine starts running. a Fig. 2 is an elevation at right angles to Figs. 3 to 6' are similar views showing, partly in elevation and partly in section, the same members as Figs. 1 and 2 but in different positions.

In these figures 1 indicates the cylinder casing of a gas engine and the frame carrying in bearings 3 a shaft 1 provided with cams 5 controlling compressed air inlet valves 6 serving for starting the engine.

The drawing only shows one of the said valves, but the arrangement is the same at each end of the cylinder, a single shaft driven by the engine actuating the valves 6 at both ends of the cylinder. Each compressed air by way. carrying out the- 27 falls into the .2 the portion of.

inlet valve .6 is

placed in a casing 7 fixed on the frame,

to which casing is connected a compressed air supply pipe 8 (see Figs. 3 and 5) provided with a stop-valve 9' shown diagrammatically in Figs. 3 and 5. -The stem 10 of the compressed air inlet valve passes through the wall 11 of the valve casing and carries a sleeve 12 subjected to the action of va spring 13 which keeps the valve 6 upon its seat. The stem 1Owl1ich is moreover guided by means of a cup-shaped plunger 14 in the cylindrical portion 15 of the valve casing is, according to the invention, actuated by a lever 16 provided with a guide slot 17 in which moves a slide 18 carried by a lever 19 upon a shaft 20 arranged longitudinally of the frame of the engine.

The shaft 20 is formed integral with a toothed sector 21 engaging a worm 22 mounted upon a rod 23 turning in a support24 and carrying an operating hand wheel 25. This operating hand wheel 25 is provided with a notch 26 (Fig. 2) in which can take a locking pawl 27 pivoting on a support 28. The rod 23 also, by means of a train of toothed. wheels 29, 30, 31, 32 operates a disk 33 carrying'the necessary indications for the various operations namely, running disengaging and positioning.

The slotted lever 16 carries a roller 34 on which can act the cam 5 mounted upon the shaft 1, when the lever is in the position shown in Fig. 1., The apparatus is used in the following way:

In order to start. the hand wheel 25 is turned until the indication running carriedby the disk33 arrives in the top position (Fig. 2). In this position the stop pawl notch 26 of the hand wheel 25. The hand wheel 25, in rotating, actuates through the rod .28, the worm 22 which gives motion to the sector 21 keyed upon the shaft 20. This latter transmits motion to the levers 19 which assume the corresponding position indicated in Fig. 1.. The engine being in the starting position, the compressed air inlet valve 9 air valve 35, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, is closed. Compressed air is, therefore, admitted into the pipe 8 and valve casing 7 and is opened and the atmospheric can enter the cylinder, the valve 6 being open as shown in Fig. 1 owing to the position of the roller'34 against the cam 5 of the shaft 4:.- The starting consequently takes place, and the distribution shaft 4, in revolving, ro

tates the cam 5, which displaces the roller 34 which transmits motion to the valve 6 through the medium of the slotted lever 16. The valve therefore admits compressed air at the proper moment.

The engine having attained the required speed it is neccessary to disengage the compressed air inlet control mechanism. The hand wheel 25 is therefore again operated after having withdrawn the pawl 27 and one or more turns are given to the hand wheel 25, according to the required extent of movement of the tooth wheels 29, 30, 31, and 82, until the indication disengaging carried by the disk 33 reaches the top position in which the pawl 27 can again be introduced into the notch 26 of the hand wheel 25.

Owing to the rotation of the worm 22 the sector 21 is again actuated and the levers 19 through the medium of the guide slot 17 raise the levers 16 so as to bring them into the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the roller 34% of each lever is free of its actuating cam. The mechanism is maintained in this position during the whole time that the engine is working normally.

There is also a third stage in the use of the mechanism to be considered. If the engine is stopped it is necessary, before commencing to run the same and bringing the slotted levers 16 into the position shown in Fig. 1, to place the engine in starting position by actuating the. crank handle or other apparatus, serving to cause the slow rotation of the fly wheel untilthe piston is in starting position. In order to avoid maintaining the compression periods during this rotation, the cylinders must be able to empty themselves by opening the compressed air inlet valves. To this end, the valve 9 being shut, the valve 35 is opened so as to putthe cylinders in communication with the atmosphere. The hand wheel 25 is again operated until the indication positioning reaches its uppermost position; this again necessitates one or more complete rotations of the hand wheel 25 so that the notch 26 may again come into place under the pawl 27 The pawl is then replaced in the notch. 22, consequent upon the rotation of the hand wheel 25, the levers 19 in moving in the guide slot 17 of the levers 16 come into the position shown in Fig. 5, in which position the slide of the lever 19 acts upon the end of the guideslot 17 and pushes the valve 6 into the open position shown in Fig. 5 against the action of the returnspring 13 of the valve. The valves being thus opened, the air contained in the cylinder is free to escape during the positioning by passing through the valve casing 7 ,.the pipe -8 and the discharge Valve 35.

By the rotation of the worm.

The described mechanism, therefore allows, with the manipulation of a single hand wheel 25, of effecting:

1. The starting of the engine by means of compressed air introduced into the cylinder through the valves 6 operated by the cams 5.

- 2. The disengagement of the starting mechanism when the engine has been set running this disengagement being effected by raising rollers so as to place them out of engagement with the cam.

3. The keeping of the valves open while the engine is not running and is being brought into starting position.

What I claim is:

1. I11 a mechanism of the kind described in combination with the starting valves of a gas engine and with their actuating cams, a lever pivoted to the rod of each starting cam, a hand wheel and actuating means between said hand-wheel and lever whereby this lever can be maintained in the position in which it is acted upon by its cam or can be disengaged from said cam or be pushed so as to open the starting valve.

2. In a mechanism of the kind described. in combination with the starting valves of a gas engine, a lever pivoted to the rod of each starting cam, the said lever being provided with a guide slot, a slide cooperating with said guide-slot, a second lever carrying said slide, a hand-wheel and means for actuating said second lever from the handwheel whereby the slotted lever can be main-- tained in the position in which it is acted upon byits cam, or can be disengaged from said cam or be pushed so as to open the starting valve. 1

3. In a mechanism for starting gas engines, in combination with the engine cylinder, a starting valve, a compressed air supply pipe coiiperating with said valve, a spring keeping the valve in its closing position, a slotted-lever actuating the said valve; a counter-shaft, a cam mounted upon said counter-shafts and adapted to cooperate with said slotted lever, a second lever carrying a slideworking in the guide-slot of the slotted lever, a second counter-shaft parallel with the axi ofthe engine, upon which counter-shaft the lever carrying the slide is mounted, a toothed sector adapted to rotate said shaft, a worm actuating said sectora shaft carrying said worm, a handwheel mounted onsaid shaft, an indicating disk, and a gear between the hand-wheel and said disk, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TOUSSAINT GENDARME. Witnesses:

' H. SAVAGE,

FRANK A. PHELAN. 

